Machine for grooving sheet metal pieces, including metal lids



Aug. 22, 1950 G. A. ZEILER 2,519,869

MACHINE FOR GROOVING SHEET METAL PIECES, INCLUDING METAL LIDS Filed May 9, 1947 D Sheets-Sheet 1 20 a a 4a Aug. 22, 1950 G. A. ZEILER 2,519,869

MACHINE F OR GROOVING SHEET METAL PIECES, INCLUDING METAL LIDS Filed May 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 5? Fig.2

37 35 r? 12 I O Q} 5 mi 4 a o o o i j as 48 Aug. 22, 1950 G. A. ZEILER MACHINE FOR GROOVING SHEET METAL PIECES, INCLUDING METAL LIDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 9, 1947 mm mm a KN t wN 2, 1950 G. A. ZEILER 2,519,869

M FOR GROQVING SHEET METAL S, INCLUDING METAL LIDS Filed May 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I v I mllll li mam - aser-4 Aug. 22, 1950 G. A. ZEILER 2,519,869

MACHINE FOR GROOVING SHEET METAL PIECES, INCLUDING METAL LIDS Filed May 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JvyF/vraz' Ga -4v /4. Zf/AEZ the groove.

Patented Aug. 22, 1950 MACHINE FOR GROOVING SHEET METAL PIECES, INCLUDING METAL LIDS Gustav Adolf Zeiler, Lenzburg, Switzerland Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 747,009 in Switzerland May 11, 1946 1 4 Claims.

The object of the present invention is a machine for grooving sheet metal pieces in which the piece to be worked is fastened during the working process between two rotating discs enclosing each other. Sheet working machines comprising holding discs of this kind are already known as rolling devices for working tin lids. But in such machines the lids to be worked are fastened between the front faces of the two discs, the latter being coaxial and firmly pressed one against the other over their whole circumference. This kind of sustaining possesses the disadvantage that stresses are being created in the fastened pieces, which ultimately lead to distortions. Furthermore, even small differences in speed of the two discs create considerable friction and heating of the piece. Said disadvantages are eliminated in the sheet working machine according to the invention by positioning one disc eccentrically with respect to the other through a radial movement, causing the workpiece to be pressed against this other disc.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of the invention, designed as a grooving and rolling machine for grooving and rolling of tin lids.

Fig. 1 is a View showing the side, which contains the lid chute of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine showing the controlling mechanism actuating the swivel bracket for the outside disc.

Fig. 3 is a section on line IIIIII of Fig. 1 through the axis of rotation of the swivel bracket and through the driving shaft for the inside disc.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on a larger scale along the line IVIV of Fig. 3, showing in elevation the outside disc and the two rollers, and

Fig. 5 is a schematic sketch explaining the co-operation of the two discs.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section and partial plan View along the line VIVI of Fig. 3, and

Fig. '7 is a vertical section through Fig. 3, showing the camshaft in elevation.

A groove 2 has to be rolled into the lid 61,

shown in Fig. 5 and, furthermore, an edge has to be rolled at 3. Fig. 5 shows the principle of how this is done. The lid 67 is introduced between the two rotating discs 4 and 5, the inside disc 5 being provided with a groove 8. The other disc 4 has a recess 7, in which partially enters during the grooving and rolling process the disc 5, arranged to move to and. fro in the axial direction in such a manner, that the groove 6 is situated in the plane of the grooving roll 8, producing The outside disc 4 is able to carry out movements at right angles to its axis of rotation, as indicated by the arrows A and B. If it moves in the direction of the arrow A, its inner envelope 4 presses the lid 6'! on the side of the grooving roll against the envelope 5 of the inside disc. Thus, the lid is being fastened by the envelopes of the two discs 4 and 5, and as the wall thickness has to be taken into consideration when selecting the circumferential velocities of the discs, provision is made that there is no frictional slip between the lid and the twodiscs. Coaxially to the grooving roll 8 is arranged a roller 3 for the rolling of the lid edge at 3. This roller 9 may rotate independently from the grooving roll 3. It will be shown below on the basis of Figs. 1-4, ho-w lids are introduced between and removed from the discs, and how the movements of the discs 4 and 5, as well as of the rollers 8 and 9 are controlled.

Whereas, as shown in Fig. 3, the inside disc 5 is fixed on a shaft l I, arranged rotatably in the housing In, the also rotatably arranged outside disc 4 is supported by a swivel bracket l2 which enables the disc 4 to carry out the transversal motions in direction of the arrows A and B of Fig. 5, as explained above. The lower hub I3 of this swivel bracket i2 is arranged rotatably on a tube E4 which is clamped in the lower portion of the housing l 0. This hub I3 possesses tie bars 25, supporting a bearing It for the shaft 11 of disc 4. A drive shaft l8, driving the disc 4, passes through the tube it. On the side of hub is this shaft l8 carries a pulley i9, connected with pulley 25 of shaft H by means of a belt. The shaft is is driven by a non-represented motor through a belt 2! and a pulley 22. Furthermore, a pulley 23 is fixed on the shaft 18, said pulley driving the shiftable shaft H through a belt 2e and a pulley 25. On this shaft H of the inside disc 5 is fixed a collar 25 on which is supported one end of a helical spring 2?, the other end of which is in contact with a bush 28, mounted on the shaft ll. Between the collar 26 and the hub of the inside disc 5 is arranged a sleeve 28, fixed axially on shaft H, but free to move peripherally, and on which acts the cranked lever 3! supported by the pin 3:), said cranked lever carrying at its other extremity a roller 32, which cooperates with a cam 34 fixed on the control shaft 33. The control shaft 33 is driven through non-represented means by an also nonrepresented motor. A pin 36 is fixed to the machine housing by means of a housing 3'5, and on said pin is rotatably mounted the lever or swivel tool holder 31, clearly shown in Fig. 4, and proposition on the right.

vided for the grooving roll 8 and the roller 9 for rolling. By means of this lever 31 not only the two rollers 8 and 9 are pressed against the workpiece, but also the swivel bracket l2 and the outside disc 4 are rotated in the direction of the arrows A and B of Fig. 5. This is carried out by means of the following coupling device shown in Fig. 4;. In bearing 38', arranged to swivel at the inner tie bar 5 5 of the swivel bracket I2, is intrduced a movable pin 40, which possesses at one end a thread with a stop nut 39. Said pin 4|} is pivotally affixed to the lever 31. Between the bearing 38 and the head 4| of pin 4|: is inserted a helical spring 42, which, after the outside disc 4 has been moved towards the workpiece, enables the pin 48 and the lever to move further to the right (Fig. 4), in order to press the rollers 8 and 9 against the workpiece. The control of lever 23'? is effected through a lever mechanism acting onto one arm 43 of lever 33 and through a cam fixed on the control shaft Figs. 1 and 2 show a rod 44, one end of which is pivotally aifixed to the arm 43 of the roller lever 3i, and the other end of which is pivotally afiixed to a bell crank lever 45 arranged outside the housing. From this lever 45 a further link 46 leads to a lever 42', also arranged outside the housing, said lever bein clamped on the shaft 48, carried by a bearing arranged in the housing. Inside the housing, on

this shaft 48 is fixed a further lever with a roller 58, co-operating with a cam of the control. shaft 33. A spring 53, fixed to the lever and to the fixed point 52 of the housing, causes the roller 55 to be pressed permanently against the cam 51.

Description has been given above of the drive and of the control of the two rollers 8 and 9. Now follows the explanation. how the pieces to be worked are fed and how they are transported after the working operation.

The feeding of the workpieces, of tin lids for example, is effected through the chute 54, which possesses in its vertical portion 55 an interrupting lever 56, pivotally mounted in blocks 51. A nonrepresented helical spring, affixed to the lower portion of lever 56, causes this interrupting lever 56' to be pressed against the inlet finger 58. The lever 55 carries a stop 68 for holding the penultimate lid, as will be described below. The inlet finger 55 which interrupts and establishes the feed of the workpieces between the discs 4 and 5, is arranged to move to and fro in the housing. The control of its motion is effected through a rod 60, pivotally afiixed to said inlet finger and to a lever 59. The lever 59 co-operates through a non-represented roller with a cam BI and the control shaft 33. In order that, when a further workpiece is introduced, it does not slip between the discs 4 and 5, a supporting block 52 is provided which advances below the space between the two discs every time a lid is released by the inlet finger 58. This supporting block 62 moves in the housing in a guide and is aflixed to a rod 63. This rod 63 is subject to the action of a spring 64 which causes the motion to the left of the supporting block 62, shown in Fig. 3. A lever 65, arranged loose on the shaft 48, is pivotally affixed to the rod 63 and carries a roller, nonrepresented in the drawing, which cooperates with the cam 66 of control shaft 33. in order to control the supporting block.

The machine described works as follows, the assumption being made that it is in the following position: The inside disc 5 is in its retracted The supporting block 62 is also still in its retracted position. The inlet finger 58 is, on the contrary, in its front locking position, also maintaining the spring-loaded interrupting lever 56 in its swivelled-out position. The lowest lid 61 in the chute 54 which, as shown in Fig. 5, has to be rolled and to be provided with a groove, is supported by the inlet finger 58. The two discs 8 and 9 are now concentric to each other. The control shaft 33-, shown in- Fig. 3, rotates clockwise. In the next moment the nonrepresented roller of the lever 65 traverses the smallest diameter of the cam 56, causing the spring 64, the rod 83 and the supporting block 62 to move towards the left. Thus, this block is introduced into the path of the lids 61. Now, the cam 5| begins to swivel the lever 59 in the clockwise direction, the inlet finger moving to the right. The interrupting lever 56 follows, until its stop 68 meets the penultimate lid and presses it against the chute. The inlet finger 58 moves further to the right without being followed by the interrupting lever 58. The lowest lid 61 passes now between the interrupting lever 5'5 and the inlet finger, and is stopped b the supporting block 62. This position is shown in Fig. 3. Now the roller 32 of lever 3| reaches the smallest diameter of cam 34 and enables the spring 2! to move the shaft I l and the inside disc 5 to the left, causing a movement of the inside disc 5 into the outside disc 4, but only up to the level of the groove track. Immediately the cam 5| swivels the lever e9 together with the external lever 41 (Fig. 2) in the clockwise direction. The rod 45 causes a similar motion of lever 45, the latter moving the rod 44 upwards. This causes the lever 31, shown in Fig. 4, to rotate clockwise. At the beginning of the motion of this lever, the spring 42 is not yet being compressed, but the swivel bracket I2, shown in Fig. 4, is swivelled clockwise transversely to the axes of the discs 4 and 5, until the lid 51 to be worked comes into contact with the envelope of the inside disc 5, and the envelope of the outside disc 4' is pressed against the lid. The drive of the two discs 4 and 5, i. e. the circumferential velocities of these discs are computed in such a manner that there is no frictional slip between the discs and the lid, eliminating injurious action of the discs on the lid. A further clockwise movement of the lever 31 causes the compression of spring 42, the grooving. roll 8 and the roller 9 for rolling being pressed against the lid, producing the required working operation on the latter. In the meantime, the inlet finger 58, shown in Fig. 3, has again moved towards the left and has swivell-ed the interrupting lever 56. The latter has released the penultimate lid, enabling it to move downwards, until it is. stopped by the inlet finger 58'. In the meantime the supporting block 52 has also: been moved backwards and after completion of the working process, the cam 5| causes the backward motion of rollers 8 and 9, as well as of the swivel bracket t2. The shaft II with the inside disc 5 also caused by the cam 34 to move backwards, the lid resting on said disc, after meeting the stripper 69', is being stripped off and falls through the passage liberated by the supporting block 52 into the lower portion 10 of the chute and into a container, or to a point, where it will be. subject to a. further working operation.

The lids may be introduced into the chute either manually or they may reach it automatically from a punching machine or from another device by means of a conveyer.

It. is also possible to design the machine in such a manner that workpieces other than lids, such as bottoms or other parts of tins, may be worked.

What I claim is:

l ln a machine for grooving sheet metal pieces, two rotatable discs for holding between their envelopes a work piece, the one disc partially enclosing the other during the working process, a first drive means for rotating one of said discs, a second drive means for rotating the other disc, a machine frame, a movable tool holder mounted on said machine frame, a movable bracket mounted on said machine frame to move transversely to the axes of rotation of said discs and on which one of said discs is rotatably mounted, a driving device for moving said movable tool holder, and a resilient coupling connecting said movable tool holder with said movable bracket in a manner to bring the disc mounted on said bracket by means of said driving device into a Work-holding position with its axis eccentric to the axis of the other disc to press the work piece by its envelope onto the envelope of said other disc, and to bring said tool holder on further operation of said driving device into tool-operating position.

2. In a machine for grooving sheet metal pieces, two rotatable discs for holding between their envelopes a work piece, the one disc partial- 1y enclosing the other during the working process, a shaft carrying one of said discs, a camoperated mechanism coupled with said shaft for axial displacement of the disc carried on the latter for giving the work piece access to the space between said discs and to approach the discs for the one disc partially enclosing the other disc, a first drive means for rotating said shaft, a machine frame, a swivel tool holder mounted on said machine frame, a swivel bracket mounted on said machine frame to swivel transversel to the axes of rotation of said discs and on which the other of said discs is rotatably mounted, a second drive means for rotating the disc mounted on said bracket, a cam-operated driving device for swivelling said swivel tool holder, and a resilient coupling connecting said swivel tool holder with said swivel bracket in a manner to bring the disc mounted on said bracket by means of said driving device into a workholding position with its axis eccentric to the axis of the disc mounted on said shaft to press the work piece by its envelope onto the envelope of the disc on said shaft, and to bring said tool holder on further operation of said cam-operated driving device into tool-operating position.

3. In a machine for grooving sheet metal pieces, two rotatable discs for holding between their envelopes a work piece, the one disc par tially enclosing the other during the working process, a first drive means for rotating one of said discs, a second drive means for rotating the other disc, a machine frame, a swivel tool holder mounted on said machine frame, a tube mounted on said machine frame, a drive shaft traversing said tube and coupled at its one end with said second drive means, a swivel bracket mounted on said tube to swivel transversely to the axes of rotation of said discs and on which one of said discs is rotatably mounted, a driving device for swivelling said swivel tool holder, and a resilient coupling connecting said swivel tool holder with said swivel bracket in a manner to bring the disc mounted on said bracket by means of said driving device into a work-holding position with its axis eccentric to the axis of the other disc to press the work piece by its envelope onto the envelope of said other disc, and to bring said tool holder on further operation of said driving device into tool-operating position.

i. In a machine for grooving sheet metal pieces, two rotatable discs for holding between their envelopes a work piece, the one disc partially enclosing the other during the working process, a shiftable shaft carrying one of said discs, a cam-operated mechanism coupled with said shiftable shaft for axial displacement of the disc carried on the latter for giving the work piece access to the space between said discs and to approach the discs for the one disc partially entering the other disc, a first drive means for rotating said shiftable shaft, a machine frame, a swivel tool holder mounted on said machine frame, a tube mounted on said machine frame, a drive shaft traversing said tube and coupled at its one end with said first drive means, a

swivel bracket mounted on said tube to swivel transversely to the axes of rotation of said discs and on which the other of said discs is rotatably mounted, a second drive means for rotating the disc mounted on said bracket, coupled with the other end of said drive shaft, a cam-operated driving device for swivelling said swivel tool holder, and a resilient coupling connecting said swivel tool holder with said swivel bracket in a manner to bring the disc mounted on said bracket by means of said driving device into a workholding position with its axis eccentric to the axis of the disc mounted on said shiftable shaft to press the work piece by its envelope onto the envelope of the disc on said shiftable shaft, and to bring said tool holder on further operation of said cam-operated driving device into tooloperating position.

GUSTAV ADOLF ZEILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 539,051 Gillet May 14, 1895 1,873,164 Turnquist Aug. 23, 1932 2,02%,262 Williams Dec. 17, 1935 2,152,571 Schmidt Mar. 28, 1939 2,215,845 Williams Sept. 24, 1940 2,267,005 Williams Dec. 23, 1941 2,312,225 Wilkinson Feb. 23, 1943 

